Exhaust gases in a vehicle may be directed into an after-treatment system. The after-treatment system may include an exhaust pipe having one or more exhaust after-treatment devices. The after-treatment devices may be any device configured to change the composition of the exhaust gases, typically to reduce the emission of pollutants in the exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons or soot.
Some after-treatment devices require heating to temperatures that are higher than those typically provided by the engine exhaust gases to initiate the desired catalytic reaction or to otherwise achieve the desired operating temperature of the after-treatment device. Due to various factors, the heating of after-treatment devices to temperatures that are higher than those typically provided by the engine exhaust gases could lead to an exhaust over temperature condition in the exhaust components (e.g., catalysts, pipes and sensors). In extreme conditions, an exhaust over temperature condition may lead to damaged exhaust components and non-exhaust vehicle parts (e.g., electrical wires, brake wires, and others).
Accordingly, it is desirable to implement a temperature reduction strategy to mitigate an exhaust over temperature condition. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.